A folk music promoter insisted 'I am not a racist' and said his Twitter account had been hacked after historic offensive tweets came to light.

Geoff Smith, organiser of Oxford Music and Folk (OMAF), said: "I am as horrified as the wider folk scene to see that certain racist comments have been associated with the OMAF Twitter account made a number of years ago."

He said the account had been hacked "on at least three occasions".

 

 

Popular husband and wife duo Kathryn Roberts and Sean Lakeman boycotted the promoter after the tweets surfaced and took to social media to explain why they cancelled a gig last Saturday at The Quaker Meeting House.

They tweeted: "We have cancelled Tonight’s show in Oxford. A very complex situation arose that has needed careful navigation. We have made every effort to try and provide a performance for ticket holders in Oxford tonight ( special thanks to the Quakers ) but it has not been possible."

 

The situation led to a debate among performers on Twitter about inclusivity in the folk scene.

Twice Mercury Prize-nominated Eliza Carthy called their decision an "incredibly brave and principled stance to take".

She said she wanted to add her voice "to the growing number of people" steering clear of the promoter.

John Spiers, of Bellowhead, also called it a "brave stand".

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Other acts who said they would no longer work with OMAF included Show of Hands and Sam Sweeney.

Mr Sweeney, who is now hiring the Holywell Music Room himself for a gig in May, said in a video that it had been a "horrible, horrible few days" dealing with the fallout.

 

 

He said of his rearranged show: "Let's fill that room with love and positivity."

In a statement posted on Twitter Mr Smith insisted: "Until I was made aware of their content I had no prior knowledge of the existence of these tweets and I categorically state that neither myself or anyone else associated with OMAF is responsible for these comments and the abhorrent views they express, nor do we share them."

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He added: "On a personal level the views expressed... are not opinions and attitudes I hold and people who know and work with me can tell you I am not a racist."

In a statement Folk Weekend Oxford said: "We are committed to making folk music and arts in Oxford available to all, and reject the views that have been expressed by another folk promoter in our wonderful city."

 

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This story was written by Miranda Norris, she joined the team in 2021 and covers news across Oxfordshire as well as news from Witney.

Get in touch with her by emailing: Miranda.Norris@newsquest.co.uk. Or find her on Twitter: @Mirandajnorris

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